Some vehicles, such as snowmobiles, include an automatic engine stop system that is operable to stop the engine automatically in such a case that the driver falls off the vehicle while the vehicle is still running. A regular automatic engine stop system includes an emergency engine stop switch placed in the forebody, as well as a tether cord with a first end connected to a cap for the emergency engine stop switch and a second end fastened to the driver's body. The emergency engine stop switch is in an off state when the cap is on, the engine is kept driven in this state. Meanwhile, when the cap comes off, the emergency engine stop switch is turned on, and the engine is stopped. The cap is engagingly attached so as to come off upon being pulled at a certain strength. Then, when the driver falls off the vehicle and the tether cord is pulled, the cap comes off and the emergency engine stop switch is turned on, such that the engine is stopped.
In a case, however, where the driver falls off the vehicle on, for example, a slope, the vehicle does not stop immediately due to the law of inertia even when the engine is stopped by the automatic engine stop system. Moreover, in a case where the emergency engine stop switch is activated to stop the engine on a slope, the engine will be stopped, whereas a driving mechanism such as a track belt is not locked by that, and the vehicle could continue to move forward on the slope with the track belt turning. Such a vehicle without the driver is uncontrollable and is thus dangerous.
Against this backdrop, Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanism that is operable to turn on a switch for stopping the engine as well as to pull a brake lever to apply the brakes when a tether cord is pulled. The mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a slidable shaft that is engaged both with a toggle switch for starting/stopping the engine and the brake lever; a spring for sliding the shaft; a pin for regulating the urge to be applied by the spring; and a tether cord connected to the pin. When the tether cord is pulled and the pin is released, the shaft is caused to slide by the spring, such that the toggle switch is turned off and the brake lever is pulled.